A couple weeks ago we all suffered through Barack Obama’s final State of the Union address. No one really has any idea who the person will be to deliver next year’s speech but please, please, please, don’t let it be Jeb Bush or Hillary Clinton. I could probably survive just about anyone else including, ta-da the “Bern.” The Bern, makes a good place to jump off to talk about today’s Denver media. Remember how quickly the Bern surrendered the microphone to a bunch of hacked off women who charged the stage, and the Bern (weenie that he is)is supposed to be the radical who can take on Vladimir Putin, and ISIS?
But, I digress. The present El Presidente proclaimed the state of the union is strong. Well, I can tell you the state of Front Range media is in hospice care (and the cat is just walking into the room).
Let’s take the press first. With the exception of this rag and Ms. Calhoun’s fish wrap, newspapers are dying. The Denver Post each day seemingly can’t get worse, or smaller, continues to surprise even me. Dean: where do you and Greggy find these little scamps that keep writing these stories? We all know you’re not paying your reporters or columnists anymore. Why don’t you just give The Denver Post to Phil Anschutz?
Turning to TV local news, it hasn’t been this funny since uncle Milty, and as the SDS of the ’60s and ’70s all tried to out Mao each other. It’s fun watching these jokers fight it out to who loves the Broncs the most. My vote goes to the pro Ramsey station Channel 9. They can out Bronco everyone while John Bowlen, the self-described “blood of the city” awaits trial in Glendale on domestic violence charges. Let’s see which television stations dare to cover that story.
Last, but not least, comes my home court; radio. Can they screw it up even more? So let’s start with the last place I was fired, Clear Channel, now known as iHeartMedia, which is 20.7 billion dollars in debt. These geniuses managed to destroy one of the most wonderful labor intensive, profit making media groups in the history of Colorado — Lee Larson’s Denver radio complex.
Once Lee Larson, (one of the finest men I’ve ever known in my life) was pushed out of Clear Channel, and replaced by a little corporate button man Pat Connor, the bloodletting began. In a very Old Testament way, what goes around comes around. In November, the Clear Channel assassins took Paddy boy to breakfast and never let him back in the building. As Bob Dylan said, “How does it feel?”
So one of the true greats in our business, Mike Rosen, is gone. Mike got jacked, and frankly, I think Mike just had enough. Good for you Mike, you walked out with honor and dignity.
I told you once before in this column, some days the fish gets to eat the whale. Believe me when I tell you if iHeartMedia had been beating me financially on the KNUS Morning Show they never would have gone to the Kampgrounds of America and replaced Mike Rosen.
Alan Roach, one of the true great voices, was fired. Donna Hendricks, one of the great behind the scenes women in our business, was fired after packing up Pat Connor’s belongings. Stan Kroenke, big time sports owner, has moved into the market. He’s buying AMs and FMs. I wonder what he’s going to do with those markets?
So I’ll end it with this, I don’t know how iHeartMedia will survive, because like ENRON, they’re the smartest guys in the room. I don’t know what’s going to happen to newspapers, local TV news or radio. I’ve spoken my mind about the media. Thank God for the Internet.
Happy Valentine’s Day. I’ll see you on the radio.